THROWING A FESTIVAL LOCKDOWN PARTY

Saturday


Our Bournemouth 7s Themed Party

Last weekend, I was supposed to be at Bournemouth 7s Festival. Like all other festivals, this had been cancelled due to coronavirus. Instead of moping around and being sad that I couldn't attend, I decided to throw a festival party in my garden with just my parents. They love it when I force my party ideas upon them!

Girl in festival outfit

The day was filled with games, food and music, without queuing an hour for the toilet or paying £5 per pint. We were deciding for ages what sort of food to have, and in the end we decided to do homemade pizzas that we all decorated ourselves. We had prosciutto, mozzarella, and pepperoni on them - deeelish!

Homemade Pizza

In preparation for the faux festival, I made some dodgy wristbands out of card. You can actually get custom festival wristbands printed too on various websites. I will definitely be trying this for another party!

We decorated the garden with bunting and decorated our bar with signs saying "Beer and Prosecco Bar". I also made signs to go on the bar that pointed to the VIP area, sports area and toilets. 

Hollie, our gorgeous pet Shih Tzu, worked very hard being a sniffer dog. By that, I mean we hid her treats on one of us and she had to sniff out who had the treat. I think she loved the attention but probably wouldn't hire her as an actual sniffer dog unless there was food involved

One thing I always try to do is make sure I have something to look forward to, but this can get hard with all the restrictions that we have going on at the moment. Planning things to do at home is one way I'm getting round that and how I am trying to stay positive. Read how else I am keeping busy whilst there are still coronavirus restrictions.

Other ideas on planning a festival party in your garden

All festivals need some headliners so it could be lots of fun to do karaoke. Or even more fun to laugh at your family members or friends doing karaoke. It could also be fun to do cocktail making, although I've never had a cocktail at a festival before, just VK's or something that I could actually afford. This could be a fun idea if you want to be a VIP.

Something we found it hard to think of was festival themed games. I'm sure there are some you can do that are to do with finding friends or searching people but we really struggled with this at our festival party. We ended up playing beer pong and a game where you blindfold each other and make the blindfolded person guess what they're tasting - we promised not to make it too gross.

I'd love to know your lockdown party ideas or anything else you have planned whilst at home. It would be good to get some inspo!

Festival Party Pin

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BEING A FUSSY EATER: THE LOW DOWN

A while ago I started a series called, The Low Down, where I will just talk about certain topics, giving you 'The Low Down'.


Mussels in garlic sauce with caption

Since I can remember, I have always been a really fussy eater. Quite a lot of kids can be but I never seemed to grow out of it. It would probably be easier to tell you the foods I do like than listing the ones I don't. I basically don't like ANYTHING spicy, I also don't like tea or coffee (big shock alert).

People regularly laugh at my 'boring' taste in food, and I do too, but it is the bane of my life. Something that stands out to me is that I used to avoid going to Nando's because I got plain when everyone else got medium and someone always had something to say about it. "Sorry guys, I can't come tonight, um, I need to wash my hair." I don't really care about things like that anymore it just seems bizarre to me that people have such opinions on food tastes. Incidentally, I have recently graduated to lemon and herb!

I really wish I liked a lot more foods than I do because then I wouldn't have to worry about what we're having for dinner if I go to someone's house, or worry that I'm being really annoying if I say I don't like something. Luckily now, everyone I know knows that I'm a fussy eater so if I go to theirs for dinner, they will make sure it's something I like (love those kinds of people). 

It wasn't always that easy when I was growing up though. It was the absolute WORST when I would go to friends houses for dinner and their mum had made something I didn't like. Because I felt so bad, I would try my hardest to eat it even if I didn't like it. But when it's spicy food, I literally can't even force myself to eat it! Once I remember going to someone's and their parents had made a chilli con carne (one of my top WORST dishes) and I did try to eat it. In the end, I just had to say I'm so sorry, this is too spicy for me. Then, I remember the parents kind of getting slightly annoyed even though they tried not to show it.

I still love food though. Even though I'm quite fussy, I do love the foods that I will eat and I do try new foods to see if I'll like them. What kind of eater are you? Are you fussy or will you eat most things? Everyone has their own preferences, I just wish I liked more things but it's probably good that I don't because I love food too much now anyway.

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20 SONGS TO CHILL OUT TO


Alexa, play my Chilled Playlist.
There have been lots of new songs out that I have been loving lately so I thought I'd share my new playlist with you. I always think it is great to share artists and songs with people that they could love but they haven't heard yet. These songs are good to chill out to, especially when you might be feeling stressed by the current state of the world.

Pink headphones on pink and blue background

Here is my latest favourite music:

1. Every song from the new It Was Good Until It Wasn't album by Kehlani. Kehlani is one of my favourite artists and her new album is the best one yet!
2. Hello? feat. Rejjie Snow - by Clairo
3. Too Late - by the Weeknd
4. Summer 2020 (interlude) - by Jhene Aiko
5. Playing Games - by Summer Walker
6. Eleven - by Khalid
7. Dive - by Victoria Monet
8. I want war (BUT I NEED PEACE) - by Kali Uchis
9. Cancelled. - by Kiana Lede
10. Chocolate. feat. Ari Lennox - by Kiana Lede
11. CYANIDE REMIX feat. Koffee - by Daniel Caeser
12. Up All Night - by Khalid
13. Drunk Dialing...LODT - by Summer Walker
14. Session 32 - by Summer Walker
15. You Know Wassup - by Kehlani
16. Tryna Smoke - by Jhene Aiko
17. I want you around (remix) feat. 6LACK - by Snoh Aalegra
18. Norman F*****g Rockwell - by Lana Del Rey
19. Cinnamon Girl - by Lana Del Rey
20. Hourglass - Catfish and the Bottlemen

I’d love to know your favourite chilled out songs! 

Related Read: What to Watch on Netflix and Disney+

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MARS BAR RICE CRISPY CAKES

Wednesday

My sister-in-law, Emma, recently made some amazing Mars Bar rice crispy cakes. Me and my mum were so obsessed with them that we decided to make our own!

We used the recipe from Baking Mad. However, we missed out the step with the white chocolate as we didn't think this was needed - and we didn't have any. For the chocolate on top, we used Cadbury's chocolate just because it's our favourite.

Mars bar rice crispy squares

These are so quick to make and just taste so good. If you fancy baking something easy and quick then you should definitely give these a try! 

You could use a different bar instead of Mars if you would like, I might have to try making these with different ones.

Keeping this post short and sweet as I just wanted to show off the Mars Bar Rice Crispy Cakes, they were too good not to share!

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10 Destinations on my Travel Bucket List

Sunday


I'm am someone who always thinks about travelling and always has to have a trip to look forward to. I spend so much of my time looking at holidays and looking travel bloggers' Instagram accounts. So why not share my travel bucket list with you? So far this year I am lucky enough to have been to Amsterdam, before things got crazy! I have been to Amsterdam already and loved it. Some destinations will be more realistic than others due to my current student/intern income but a girl can dream!

Harbour in Alcudia Mallorca

1. Disney World, Florida - I am obsessed with all things Disney and loved Disneyland Paris but have never actually been to Disney World. This is definitely my number 1 destination that I'd like to go to!

2. Rome - I had Rome booked for my 21st birthday, but sadly it was cancelled due to coronavirus. You can read about what I did to celebrate my birthday instead here.

3. Venice - I love the look of Venice and basically just anywhere in Italy. I love Italian food and all of Italy just looks so beautiful. I have been to Sorrento and Positano and it was one of my favourite trips away.

4. Budapest - I have seen so many people go here in the last few years and it looks like so much fun!

5. Barcelona - Another beautiful place with amazing architecture.

6. Barbados - I love the Caribbean and have been lucky enough to go to Cuba and the Cancun area of Mexico that is close to the Caribbean. Barbados just looks so amazing!

7. Thailand - I have never been anywhere in Asia yet, and Thailand's beaches just look so appealing to me.

8. Brighton - I have never actually been to Brighton. Can you believe it? I just think it looks like such a nice place and would love to go there for a day/night out. This one is probably the most achievable out of them all in the near-ish future.

9. Stockholm - Purely because I am told there is an ABBA museum and I looooove ABBA.

10. Hawaii - Feel like this is definitely a winning the lottery level holiday but it just looks so beautiful and I'd love to go at some point in my life.

I'd love to know where you want to travel to when you can!


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HOW TO STAY POSITIVE IN LOCKDOWN

Saturday

At the moment, with everything going on, it can sometimes be hard to think positively. This week, I am sharing with you ways that I have been trying to stay positive. Like everyone, I definitely get down days but I do think it is important to use this time to work on yourself and your mental health.

Roses and lillies

Focusing on what you can do
For me, it is thinking about the things I can't do that lowers my mood. It's better to think about the things that you can do. For example, I can write more blog posts as I have more free time and I can watch everything in my watchlist

Surrounding yourself with your favourite things
This is similar to focusing on what you can do. If you are feeling down then try and surround yourself with all of your favourite things you have around you. Try listening to your favourite artists or watching your favourite feel good movies. I have been watching a lot of Disney films lately to try and keep myself feeling happy. See my recommendations of What to Watch on Netflix and Disney+.

Knowledge is power
If the Coronavirus itself makes you feel anxious, you need to decide whether you need to know more about it to make you feel better or whether you need a detox from all things corona. Although it is important to be clued up on it so you know how it can be caught and spread, some of us don't want it to be the only thing we hear about each day. If you would like to learn more about the virus, I would recommend watching Coronavirus Explained on Netflix, it explains everything you need to know. However, make sure you don't become hyper focused on the virus. All you need to know is how to prevent it and that there will be an end to it.

Quote in Frida Kahlo book

It's temporary
There has been a decrease in cases in lots of countries across the globe and scientists are already looking at vaccines for the virus.

Try to keep active
If you live in the UK and can get out, then make sure you make use of your daily walks. It will make you feel slightly more free. Try and do exercise in your house too if you can. I have been doing Joe Wicks PE to try and stay active. It definitely lifts my mood.

Stay in touch
It is so easy to feel alone or isolated at this time, so make sure you catch up with family and friends! I have been facetiming family and friends to keep being sociable. Lots of people have been doing quizzes over facetime or zoom and I can confirm I have had lots of fun while doing these.

Think of things you are proud of
Now, try and think of things you or proud of or things you have achieved in lockdown that you didn't know you would achieve.

My list:
  • Creating more blog posts on a regular basis and reaching blog/social media goals
  • Engaging with more bloggers and finding more blog posts to read
  • Finishing a paint by numbers
  • Creating a new CV
  • Achieving my Google Analytics for Beginners Certificate
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5 COCKTAILS TO TRY AT HOME


One of the things I have been wanting to do during the lockdown is cocktail making so I thought I would share the ones I have been making with my mum. If you like the look of any of these then I'd love it if you had a go at making them and tagged me in photos! My social media handles are below.

Sangria - 1 Jug (4 Glasses)

Jug of sangria
This is one of my absolute faves in the summer and reminds me of holiday so have been loving it in lockdown! 

You will need:
50ml Brandy
Spoonful of sugar
A third of a bottle of red wine
Your favourite fruit
Ice
Cloudy Lemonade

How to make
1. First of all, you will need to pour 50m of brandy into the jug, followed by some sugar to keep it sweet.
2. Then add a third of a bottle of red wine to your jug. We used a Shiraz but you can use whichever wine you like.
3. Next, add your favourite fruit and some ice to the jug. We usually use strawberries and oranges but we used limes on this occasion because we didn't have oranges.
4. Finally, fill the rest of the jug with cloudy lemonade!

Strawberry Daquiri - 1 Glass


Strawberry daquiri cocktail

When I have asked people what their favourite cocktails are, a lot have them have said strawberry daquiri and I can see why!

You will need:
50ml rum
Spoonful of sugar
Half a lime
50g frozen strawberries
50g fresh strawberries
A blender

How to make
1. Add 50ml of rum to the blender. We used spiced rum but daquiris are usually made with white rum. You can use either or.
2. Next, add your spoonful of sugar and squeeze the juice from half a lime into the mix.
3. Add your frozen and fresh strawberries then blend! The frozen strawberries are to make it ice cold without actually using ice.
4. To make it look more insta-worthy, you wedge a strawberry onto the side of the glass too. We also used a lime here too.

Aperol Spritz - 1 Glass


Aperol Spritz
This is a classic cocktail and another one of my favourites! Our holiday to Rome was cancelled due to the lockdown so I have just been pretending I'm there by drinking Aperol.

You will need:
50ml Aperol
100ml Prosecco
Ice
Soda Water
Slice of orange (optional)

How to make
1. Firstly, add 50ml of Aperol into your wine glass.
2. Then add 100ml of prosecco, followed by ice.
3. Top up the rest of the glass with soda water and then stir!
4. Add your slice of orange if you have it.

Limoncello Spritz - 1 Glass


Limoncello Spritz
Another Italian classic that I discovered in Sorrento, the home of Limoncello. You can read about my trip to Sorrento in my Sorrento 2018 post. Making these is very similar to how you would make the Aperol Spritz.

You will need:
50ml Limoncello
100ml Prosecco
Soda Water
Ice
Slice of Lemon (optional)

How to make
1. Add 50ml of Limoncello to your wine glass.
2. Then, add 100ml of prosecco into the mix, followed by ice and your slice of lemon if you have it.
3. Finally, fill the rest of the glass with soda water and stir!

Bramble - 1 Glass


Bramble gin cocktail
This is one of my favourites to order when I'm out for drinks so why not recreate it in the house? It's a gin-based cocktail usually made with crème de mure (blackberry liquer) but we have used Chambord instead which is what they use in a jammy doughnut cocktail!

You will need:
50ml of gin
25ml lemon juice
Ice
25ml Chambord
Any fruit you would like to garnish the bramble with (optional)

How to make:
1. If you have a cocktail shaker, add 50ml of gin into the shaker. If not, just use your glass and add the ice first.
2. Add 25ml of Chambord to the mix, followed by 25ml of lemon juice.
3. Shake in the cocktail shaker if you have one.
4. If you used a shaker then add ice to your glass (crushed if possible, or just regular ice cubes) and pour the mix into your glass over the ice.
5. Add any fruit to the side of the glass to garnish your bramble if you wish.

If you liked the look of one of these cocktails or more and would like to recreate them then please tag me on social media! Let me know if you liked this post and I will make a part 2 with some more cocktails as I had so much fun making this one. Also, let me know what your favourite cocktails are and any you'd like to see in a possible part 2.

Also a huge shout out to my mum for helping me make and drink the cocktails!

Happy cocktail making. Cheers!

Find out what else I've been up to in What I've Been Doing During the Lockdown.

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